Are you a creative looking for a place to go where you can meet and connect with other people like you? You’re in the right place! From themes like comics to animation, and from VFX to graphic design, we put together some of the best creative events that are going to happen in 2024.
Now buckle up and get ready to lose yourself in your choice of creativity!
Offf Barcelona
April 04 – 06, Barcelona, Spain
Which one is better, visiting Barcelona, or visiting Barcelona for a creative event in the spring? With their motto “made for the curious”, Offf is here to bring your creative dreams to reality! Their international speakers, workshops, activities, and performances are there to build a community of offline/ online designers, motion designers, thinkers, sound designers, graphic designers, theorists, developers, professionals, and students. There are even extra workshops that you can join by buying the tickets to them, so the options are endless. If you’re a creative or an artist looking for an event to go to, Offf is going to be one of your favorite creative destinations this year!
Playgrounds: The Art Department
April 18 – 19, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
May 25 – 26, Berlin, Germany
https://weareplaygrounds.nl/the-art-department/
Taking place twice every year in different cities and countries, Playgrounds brings the creative people together under its roof full of workshops, portfolio reviews, creative booths, live drawing events and talks with people from moving image fields of animation, visual effects, digital arts, film, and games. Among their guests are artists and animators, extraordinary filmmakers, game-, sound- and graphic designers. With a schedule that is packed with events taking place on different stages in the coolest venues of Eindhoven and Berlin, it’s hard to decide which one to join!
FMX Stuttgart
April 23 – 24, Stuttgart, Germany
Since 1994, they’ve been making history. Started off as a small event for students, FMX has now become one of the world’s most important conferences dedicated to animation, effects, interactive and immersive media, with up to 300 speakers each year. With the 28th edition, they are here to get you out of your workspaces and take you on a 4-day-long journey where media creators share insights into the latest creative developments of their production and present cutting-edge tools and pipelines, real time technologies and innovative business models. What is even more fascinating is that the visitors can gather hands-on experience on the latest innovations of industry-leading companies and start-ups at the FMX Forum, in the Marketplace, at workshops or Company Suites. You can even apply as a talent for a job in the top-notch studios in The Recruiting Hub. So go ahead and get your tickets while you still have time!
Forward Festival
April 25 – 26, Hamburg, Germany
May 23 – 24, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
August 29 – 30, Berlin, Germany
October 03 – 04, Vienna, Austria
https://forward-festival.com/page/this-is-forward
Being inspired by the other artists, getting lost in creativity and gaining a “forward” looking perspective on design sound interesting to you? Taking place in 4 of the biggest cities in Europe in 2024, Forward Festival doesn’t fall short of the expectation that is created by its name. Being one of the leading names in its area, this event series invites the best creatives in each area for many talks, workshops, interactive formats, and immersive installations, and it is bringing creatives from all around the world together. What is more exciting is that you can always join exclusive side events, happenings & parties, while getting to know other creatives. If you want to jump on the train of one of the coolest creative events, this is your destination!
Pictoplasma
May 01 – 05, Berlin, Germany
https://conference.pictoplasma.com
Are you working in a field related to, or interested in character design? Then there is no better place to be! This year celebrating its 20th anniversary, Pictoplasma is the world’s one of the biggest conferences of contemporary character design in illustration, animation, graphic and urban arts. What can you find here? Artist presentations and back-to-back conference lectures, freshly hatched animations on the big screen, many workshops, endless fun, inspiration and more. Feeling intrigued? Go ahead and be a part of this 5-day-long creative blast!
Beyond Tellerand
May 13 – 14, Dusseldorf, Germany
November 07 – 08, Berlin, Germany
A mix of the English word “beyond” and the German phrase “Über den Tellerrand schauen,” beyond tellerand describes itself as beyond the edge, in other words “think outside the box”. Taking place twice every year in Dusseldorf and Berlin, Germany, this event of conferences is run by Martin Thiele. The attendees say that every year there are great speakers and wonderful surprises are awaiting the attendees. For example, in one of the events, there was a DJ mixing the speakers’ talk into a song right after each speech! If you also want to be a part of the surprised crowd, get a ticket and join the community. Learn more about the event here: https://beyondtellerrand.com/about
DoKomi
June 28 – 30, Dusseldorf, Germany
Do you like Manga, Anime, and the culture around them? DoKomi is for you! Imagine this; a whole city full of cosplayers, turning into a playground for Anime and Manga lovers for a whole weekend. There are games, workshops, contests, tournaments, stages varying from dance to fashion, and even a cosplay ball. Being an abbreviation of Doitsu Komikku Maketto (German Comic Market), DoKomi is a homage to the Comiket, which is the largest Anime and Manga convention in Japan that takes place bi-annually. With more than 155.000 visitors, DoKomi is the most popular and the largest Anime and Japan convention in Germany. So, grab your best outfit, and join the fun!
THU
September 30 – October 05, Troia, Portugal
https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/main-event/thu-2024
Forget about conventional gatherings. THU Main Event is here to shake the grounds of the ordinary and defy the norms of industry events as we know it. What awaits you here? First and foremost, being part of one of the biggest creative communities in the world, as they like to call it the “tribe”. THU treats all the attendees as part of their community, while they make their own rules. It is an event for concept artists, illustrators, painters, graphic designers, art directors, programmers, sculptors, business & tech, 2D / 3D artists, architects, visual effects, sound designers, marketeers, and many others. With a schedule that is bursting with professionals from all around the world, workshops, conferences, parties, and games, once you’re there you will have an unforgettable week full of creative experiences. Add to the equation the fact that the event is happening in Portugal, and you will be mesmerized. What else can we expect from an event?
View Conference
October 14 – 19, Turin, Italy
http://www.viewconference.it/article/809/view-conference-2023-save-the-date
If you are interested in going to a world class international event on animation, VFX, games, virtual production and more, VIEW Conference should be on your list this year. This October, for 6 full days, industry professionals, thought leaders, students and enthusiasts will be brought together in the artsy atmosphere of Turin, Italy. With an extensive live program of talks, presentations, workshops, and masterclasses by the leading names in the area, VIEW Conference embraces cutting-edge thinking in digital media. When you’re there, you can not only share and celebrate the latest achievements in Animation, VFX and Games, but also you can share your visions of the future with the other attendees. Moreover, here you can buy on-demand tickets to the past events and watch the talks online!
Lucca Comics & Games
October 30 – November 03, Lucca, Italy
https://www.luccacomicsandgames.com/it/
A 4-day-long convention full of comic books, exhibitions by world-famous artists, entertainment, board games and role-playing games; welcome to the largest comics festival in Europe! With a marketplace and exhibitors’ area that is as big as 15.000 square meters and going through the historic center of Lucca, you can also attend tournaments and seminars in this convention. Moreover, there are also cosplay competitions and even an area dedicated to children. If you are interested in comics, any type of games or cosplaying, this event is right up your alley!
These events are all wonderful in various areas of creative fields. If you’re also a creative, you’re probably thinking about looking at the plane or train tickets right now. Don’t wait and get your ticket while there are still many early bird possibilities.
Let us know which one of these creative events you are planning to go to, and don’t forget to find us in those events and say hi to us!
About the author:
Zeynep Alpay is a freelance multidisciplinary artist and illustrator based in Köln, Germany. Their work encompasses illustrations, animations, paper cut-outs, and traditional artwork.
For more information or to see more of Zeynep’s works, check out their portfolio, their Instagram, or their Linkedin.
